


Trust [Without] Issues

by Megane



Category: Final Fantasy XII
Genre: Drabbles, F/M, Friendship/Love, Male-Female Friendship, Shorts, Sparring, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-09
Updated: 2014-06-09
Packaged: 2018-02-04 00:52:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1761127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megane/pseuds/Megane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During a friendly spar, Fran experiences something she very little feels: doubt — and towards Balthier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trust [Without] Issues

**Author's Note:**

> A short I wrote a while ago while in the middle of replaying XII. Polished it up a bit, and it's still very much like this.

Balthier flexed his fingers trying to get used to the sensation of not holding a gun. He wrapped his long fingers around the lance.

            “Gungnir,” he muttered quietly, looking over the length of his chosen weapon. “The salesman seemed rather fond of it, perhaps I shouldn’t have taken it away.”

            “Perhaps, but it is better suited in our hands rather than lazing at ease near a shelf,” Fran reassured, strafing slowly towards the left.

Balthier chuckled, lowering his head with his eyes closed. He nodded his head.

            “I suppose you’re right.” He flipped his lance under his right arm. He motioned for Fran to advance with his free hand. “Alright. Have at you.”

Fran drew her bowstring back, peering down her arm towards her comrade. Balthier had that familiar smile on his face. So self-assured, so trusting. She closed her eyes and sighed softly. Pushing the thought from her mind, she pulled hard on the string again, aiming her sights. Knowing her sights were true, she let go of her bow, sending the arrow flying towards Balthier.

The marksman flipped his lance and avoided it deflected it easy enough. Fran immediately turned and began running to the side, wanting desperately to flank him. Balthier stood still while the archer repositioned herself. The soft creak of string followed by Fran's grunt made Balthier turn. His timing wasn't as perfect. The arrow flew just past his shoulder, grazing him without painful result. He made the mistake of turning his head to follow the arrow's path. Fran brought her bow to her back and slowly waved her arms to the front of her body. When Balthier looked back, he saw Fran with her arms crossed at the wrist, head tilted back slightly, and arms lifted up, wrists at face level.

That's when he decided to charge.

He flipped Gungnir over to his left arm, right brought up and ready to brace for attack. Seeing the power build in between Fran's hands, he lifted up his lance and swept it to the right, ready to hit Fran in the dip of her hips. She brought her right hand down quickly, just as a light blue flash leapt from her back and between herself and Balthier's weapon. Balthier looked down at the new weapon, smirking at the choice. The Viera sported a new mace—the Thorned Mace, if he remembered correctly.

            "Forgive my delay," Fran began, a bit of effort in her voice. "I became distracted by my options."  
            "A leading man coming second to weaponry?" Their weapons locked and the two fighters brought up their bodies, pressing closer to each other. Balthier let out of a scoffing laugh. "I suppose I can forgive you. Should you make this interesting."  
            "Let there be no doubts. Even with me, you shall fight for your life."  
            The sky pirate smile broadened just a bit. "Then I shall fight with high expectations."

And as they pushed away, Fran frowned just for a little bit before quickly approached her target.

 

\---- ---- ---- ----

 

            “Tell me I’m imaging things, but I thought I saw you hesitate, Fran.” 

Balthier walked over towards Fran, extending a bottle down towards the Viera. She looked up to him and then turned her gaze towards the bottle being extended. She quietly thanked the Hume, not answering his question at first. The sky pirate noticed and quietly sat down next to his partner, getting comfortable and propping up a leg. He turned his head towards her, after a solid minute of waiting. 

            “Well?” Though he was curious, he wasn’t too insistent. He had that amused tone, as always – that same soft, self-knowing smile on his face.

            Fran turned the bottle in her hand, staring into its amber contents. “Perhaps you’ve seen correctly.”

            “And what seems to be troubling you?” He canted his head to the side.

            “I was merely thinking, mayhap incorrectly, about the resolve of your character.”

            “Oh? It’s not like you’ve said that before.” He looked forward, staring over the stretch of patchy grass and sand. “Tell me what’s on your mind.” 

Fran let out a noise as she exhaled, shaking her head slowly. She wiggled a foot idly, and Balthier just quietly sat, sipping his drink and on occasion looked over towards the Viera. She opened her mouth to speak and then stopped, turning her head towards Balthier.

            “I believe I have misspoken. It is but a trivial matter. I wish not to affect you with my meaningless thoughts.”

            “Not at all. Even a trivial thought can spawn into something of worry, especially if it’s about me. So feel free to share.”

            Fran fell quiet again, this time, carefully thinking over her words.

            “You know, I won’t judge you, Fran. You’ve always been a good source of insight.”

He chuckled softly, bringing the bottle to his mouth again. Fran smiled a bit, finding more faith in her words. Doubt was something she very little experienced, and she was thankful that whenever it did afflict her, it was rather easy to assuage. 

            “I find your trust a little strange. Perhaps it’s because of all we’ve been through—”

            “—with the princess and all.”

            Fran nodded. “Yes. I’ve no right to doubt your unflappable loyalty, but even still, it feels—”

            “—a little naïve.”

            A short laugh. “You already know me word for word, and here, I’ve made myself a fool.”

            “Hmm, I wouldn’t say that.” He lowered his bottle down and rubbed his chin with his free hand. “Perhaps you and I are just on the same page.” He looked at her briefly and smiled. “As a sky pirate, it’s almost trade law not to trust your fellow man, and here we are forming alliances with the crown. Very unlike us.”

            Fran nodded her head, resting her chin on her knuckles. “And was my mind misplaced in questioning you?”

            Balthier chuckled. “Not at all. I can’t say that my mind is of its innocence either.”

Fran looked at her companion, who quirked a brow. He gently waved the bottle towards the Viera.

            “But you’ve always proved me wrong.”

            “And you have always proved me wrong.”

            Balthier set his bottle down, leaning his weight back onto his now free hand. “Perhaps a little worry about each other isn’t completely unhealthy.”

            Fran looked towards the horizon, the setting sun dyeing the sky a deep purple. “No. Perhaps not.”


End file.
